How to say “delicious” in Chinese

hǎochī
delicious

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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Word by word

hǎo
good
chī
to eat

Tone tip

好吃 (literally 'good-to-eat') is only for food you eat. For tasty drinks use 好喝 (hǎohē, 'good-to-drink'). Third tone then first tone.

In a sentence

Zhège cài zhēn hǎochī!

This dish is really delicious!

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say "delicious" in Chinese?+

"delicious" in Mandarin Chinese is 好吃, pronounced hǎochī. 好吃 (literally 'good-to-eat') is only for food you eat. For tasty drinks use 好喝 (hǎohē, 'good-to-drink'). Third tone then first tone.

What does 好吃 mean literally?+

好吃 breaks down as 好 (hǎo) = good, 吃 (chī) = to eat. Together it means "delicious".

How do I get the tones right in hǎochī?+

好吃 (literally 'good-to-eat') is only for food you eat. For tasty drinks use 好喝 (hǎohē, 'good-to-drink'). Third tone then first tone.

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See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.